Secrets of the Past
by Hanakosong
Summary: A month has passed since Jess fell to Pitch and the Guardians were told to find the mysterious girl, Aisuru Kuro. When they find Aisuru, she has no recollection of her past after a month ago. When one thing leads to another, Aisuru and the Guardians dive deep into Aisuru's memories and her past and find things that might have been better left alone...
1. Finding the Sixth

**A/N: For those who read the prequel, the girl I mentioned at the end, her name has been changed from Astrid Cleric to Aisuru Kuro. Enjoy!**_  
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_Wonder, Hope, Memories, Dreams, and Fun. These are five of the most important feelings of childhood. But there is one more that needs a Guardian to keep the light of it alive in the hearts of children…_

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A young girl sprinted quickly through a thick wood, her movements light and agile. Her thin body was accustomed to leaping high over fallen trees, as if she had been trained to do that very task her whole life.

Her long ebony black hair flung out behind her, bouncing and waving with her movements as she rushed through the trees. She glanced back over her shoulder, her blue eyes wide with fear before she turned forwards again and continued running.

The dark haired girl aimed to leap over a fallen oak's trunk when it was suddenly coated in a thick layer of ice and snow. Knowing that that boy would soon follow the whiteness, she abruptly switched directions and fled to the left, weaving around a thicket of bushes and ducking under a low hanging pine branch.

Glancing over her shoulder to see if the boy would follow as swiftly as she had averted him, the girl didn't notice a rabbit hole open up in her path. Turning her head around, she found two large ears sticking out of the hole, twitching back and forth. The girl kept running, her footsteps light and silent, before leaping gracefully over the tall, furry ears and continuing on at the same pace she had kept before.

Brushing aside dangling ivy as she rounded a tree trunk, the ebony haired girl found herself face to face with a floating woman coated in iridescent green, yellow, and blue feathers. Her bright pink eyes lit up in surprise as she collided with the girl. "Oh!" the woman cried in surprise.

The ebony haired girl stumbled back, gasping sharply before regaining her footing and running off in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" the woman's voice rang out behind her. "We aren't going to hurt you! We just want to talk to you!"

The girl paused in her step for a moment, debating on whether or not she could trust the sincerity in the woman's voice. Deciding not to risk it, she moved to keep running, only to find her path blocked by a large man decked in a huge red coat and furred hat. His long white beard was at her eyes level. "Wait! Stop! We are friends," he said calmly in a thickly accented voice.

The girl stepped back and turned to run the other way, only find the feathered woman blocking her path. Moving to the right, the owner of the large furred ears from before blocked her path. Desperate, she turned to the left, and again found her path blocked by a short golden man who floated off the ground. He smiled serenely at her and waved.

Sighing in defeat, the girl's shoulders drooped and she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes darted around behind her long black hair that shielded her face, trying to find their weakest point so she could dart out if things got bad fast. But she had to play along with them so they wouldn't see her escape coming.

Straightening her shoulders and pushing her hair out of her face, the girl sighed again. "Fine, you caught me. What is it you want from me? You show up in the middle of the night, scare the daylights out of me and then chase me for, how long?"

The large furry bunny scoffed and said in a thick Australian accent, "'Bout three hours, give or take. You put up a good chase, kid, I'll give you that."

The girl grinned coyly and laughed. "Yeah, I try. So, what is it you want?"

The large man with the white beard smiled warmly. "What is your name?" he asked her in a thick Russian accent.

The girl looked at him through narrowed blue eyes. "Aisuru Kuro. But I go by Ai."

The four people surrounding Ai smiled at one another, excitement evident in three out of the four's eyes. The only one who looked less than thrilled was the bunny.

"Great! Come with us! It's time you became a Guardian!" The feathered woman ushered her forwards. Ai ducked away from her and held up her hands.

"Whoa! Wait. What's this all about? I've been living on my own for about a month and then you guys turn up and chase me around then when you catch me, I tell you my name and suddenly you want me to be a Guardian? Someone explain what's going on here."

"You were chosen. Just like the rest of us, Aisuru."

Ai whirled around when the new voice sounded. She looked up and found a young boy about her age casually leaning on the trunk of a tree, perched high in a branch. He had shock white hair and blue eyes just like hers. He was tall and lean, wearing a blue hoodie and brown pants, both coated in intricate frost designs. It took her a moment to realize this was the same boy who had been throwing snow in her path for the past three hours.

"Chosen? What do you mean chosen?"

Ai watched as the boy leapt from the tree branch and landed softly on the forest floor, the wind seeming to support him the whole way down. He swung a long, wooden staff around from behind his back and perched it on his shoulder. The staff was hooked at the top and like his clothes, covered in complex floral looking frost designs.

"I mean exactly that. You were chosen to become one of us, a Guardian. We guard the children who believe in us, we guard their childhoods. We help them see the wonder in things, we give them hope and fun and dreams, and protect their memories. And now, you've been chosen to join us, to help us protect them."

"Why me? What can I do? I don't have any powers." Ai saw something flash in the white-haired boy's eyes, something that looked like pain. But it was gone before she could even be sure.

"The Moon told us to find you. He didn't tell us why, just said that you were to become a Guardian."

Ai tensed. "The Moon talks to you, too?"

The boy nodded. "Yep. What did he tell you?"

Ai looked at her feet, her toes curling around the thick grass that surrounded them. "Just that my name was Aisuru Kuro. Then he's never said anything else." Ai looked up at the others, her eyes showing signs of weakness, a desperate longing. "Why can't anyone else see me? I tried talking to a few people I met but they didn't notice me and…" she paused and hugged her middle. "One of them walked right through me."

The boy's eyes softened in sympathy. "I've been there before. It's because people don't believe in you. They don't know about you and the aspect of childhood you guard. When you become a Guardian, we can help you find it, your center. And then children will start to believe in you."

Ai looked up at the boy and took a step away from him. "But…they don't see me now so how could they find out about me? I'll be unnoticed for the rest of my life won't I?"

The boy sighed. "I can't tell you that to be honest. It all depends on you. You can come with us and find out."

Ai shrank away from him again. "I don't even know your name. I don't know any of your names!"

The boy flipped his staff so it rested across both his shoulders and he flashed her a cocky grin. "I'm Jack. Jack Frost."

Ai felt her face grow warm against her intentions. She ducked her gaze away and looked at the other four people standing around her. "And you guys?" she muttered.

The feathered woman smiled warmly. "I'm Toothiana. But everyone just calls me Tooth."

The man in the red coat with the heavy accent smiled as well. "I am Santa Clause. But you may call me North."

The large rabbit huffed before saying, "Bunnymund. Call me Bunny. And this fella here is Sandman. But we all call 'im Sandy." The small golden man waved cheerily at her and smiled.

"Can he talk?" Ai asked, studying the small man.

"Not with words," Jack cut in. "He forms images above his head with dream sand to communicate with us."

Ai smiled down at the golden man and gave a small laugh. "Hello."

Jack studied her for a moment before asking, "So, your name. It's not English is it? What is it? Do you know?"

Ai sighed and thought about it. Surprisingly, even though the Moon had told her what her name was, she knew what language it was and what it meant. She looked up at Jack and nodded. "Yeah it's Japanese. Aisuru means 'loving'. And my nickname, Ai, means 'love'."

Jack smiled. "Love…that's cute. I like it."

Ai flushed again and ducked her head. "Thanks, " she mumbled.

North chuckled deeply and shook his head. "Alrighty then! To the sleigh! Let's get back to Pole quickly now!" North, Sandy, and Tooth all started towards the sleigh. Bunny shook his head and stepped back. "Oh no, mate. I'll take my tunnels. I'll see you back there."

Bunny tapped his large foot on the ground and a rabbit hole gaped wide in the ground, appearing from nowhere. Bunny saluted them and dove into the hole. As soon as his ear tips disappeared, the ground closed up like it was swallowing him and a pink daisy popped up where the ground had closed.

Ai stared at the ground in awe, almost wondering if it would open up and swallow her too. "Does he…always do that?" she asked, turning to Jack.

Jack laughed and nodded. "Yeah. The kangaroo hates flying. C'mon, you can take his spot."

Ai followed Jack. "Kangaroo? I thought he was a bunny."

Jack and the other Guardians laughed as Jack helped Ai into the sleigh. "He is. But Bunny and I didn't always see eye to eye and we fought sometimes. Kangaroo is a nickname that I still tease him with from one of those fights."

Ai nodded. "I see. It's because he's Australian isn't it?"

Jack laughed again and nodded. "Yeah that and his huge ears and the way he hops around."

North turned around, interrupting their conversation. "Everyone is ready, yes?" Jack, Tooth, and Sandy nodded.

Ai looked around in confusion. "Wait, ready for what?"

North snapped the reins and let out a crazy sounding laugh. The sleigh lurched forwards, throwing Ai backwards. Ai yelped as she landed against some hard and cold. She looked up and found herself clinging to Jack's chest as she tried to regain her footing.

Stuttering out something about being sorry, Ai found her feet and gripped the side of the sleigh before sitting down. Jack flashed her a cocky grin before perching on the edge of the sleigh.

Ai looked over to North and saw him pulling out something that looked a lot like a snow globe. The wind whipped his words back at her, so she heard him whisper, "North Pole," before he threw the orb out in front of the sleigh with all his might.

_What in the-?_ Ai thought, watching the globe soar through the open sky, expecting it to fall to the earth and shatter. _Has he lost it?_ She thought to herself.

No sooner had the thought formed in her head than the little orb spontaneously exploded in a shower of glitter and light of all colors, taking shape into a swirling vortex in front of them.

Ai gasped out loud, gripping the sleigh even tighter. There was a tugging sensation in her gut, a feeling that, for an odd reason she didn't know, she had felt before. Everything seemed to elongate as the sleigh and all it's passengers were sucked into the vortex. Everything seemed to spin wildly before Ai felt herself straighten out. She looked around and tried to stand up.

Ai's legs gave out underneath her and everything began spinning again. The vortex was something that she wasn't used to and it was definitely affecting her. There was a strong hand on her shoulder, keeping her steady before she completely blacked out.

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**A/N: This is the sequel to Dancing in the Snow! I hope you all like it! Please R&R!**


	2. Welcome to the Pole

'_Jack!' a girl's voice screamed, echoing through the empty, black space. 'Save me!' The sensation of frigid water encasing her, soaking her through, freezing her as she began to lose hold of consciousness. But then there was the feeling of a strong arm wrapping around her, pulling her close. There was rush around her and…_

Ai shot up, her blue eyes wild with fear and confusion. Her long ebony hair was in a tangled sweaty mess atop her head and falling down her back. Ai swung her gaze around wildly, taking in her surroundings.

Ai was in a small room with wooden floors and ceiling. There was a floor to ceiling shelf covered in numerous trinkets and boxes of many colors. Ai was lying in a large bed that was pushed against the wall in a corner near some windows. Next to her was a small nightstand with a lamp and a glass of water on it.

Ai sighed shakily and dropped her head into her hands, staring at the tangled sheets around her legs. Her forehead in her hands coated her fingers in sweat. Ai wiped her hands on the sheets.

Ai's head was throbbing and she couldn't seem to grasp a solid thought. The thoughts she kept attempting to form kept mixing with the thoughts from her dream. Shaking her head furiously from side to side, Ai tried to shake loose the thoughts that weren't hers.

_What's wrong with me?_ Ai thought exasperatedly.

With a heavy sigh, Ai decided to test her legs and then try to find out where she was. As she moved to slide out of the bed, her foot hit something near the end of the bed. Looking there, Ai's heart skipped a beat in shock.

Her earlier frantic searching had failed to reveal that Jack was leaning against the framework of the bed near the foot of the structure, slumbering away. Suppressing a laugh, Ai moved her feet away from his head and slipped down onto the floor next to him.

Ai took the opportunity to really take in the details of Jack, now that she knew he wouldn't stare back at her with those bright blue eyes that seemed to reflect hers like a mirror.

Ai took in the whiteness of his hair, the paleness of his face and the light blue tinge around his lips. Upon a closer inspection of his hoodie, the fabric was worn and well loved. The frost that coated the fabric was focused around the collar and the shoulders as well as around the wrists. The strings that hung down from the hood were beginning to fray at the ends.

But what caught Ai's attention was a large, faint stain that covered most of the stomach and chest of the front of the hoodie. It was so faint, so barely noticeable that she almost hadn't noticed it. The stain had a faint brownish, rusty color to it. Without knowing why, Ai felt like she had seen it before, like she had been there when it had happened. And again, without knowing why, Ai knew exactly what the source of that stain was.

Blood.

Ai was becoming scared, and her head was throbbing again. Out of panic, Ai grabbed Jack's shoulder and shook it. "Jack," she said. "Jack wake up." Ai tried to suppress the shake in her voice as she woke the winter spirit.

Jack's head bobbed once before snapping up. He looked around in confusion, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn. "Wh-what?" Jack got out around his yawn. Jack's blue eyes turned to Ai and immediately lit up. "Hey, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Ai smiled as best she could, hoping Jack wouldn't see through it. "I'm fine. I definitely feel better now that I slept."

Jack studied her face, trying to figure out if she was being honest. "Are you sure? You still look a little shaken."

Ai looked at her hands, debating on whether or not she could confess to Jack about what was eating at her. One part of her was screaming at her to not say anything while another part was saying she could trust him.

With a defeated sigh, Ai shook her head. "No, I'm not sure. I had this really weird dream and it makes my head hurt when I try to make sense of it. And…" she trailed off, not sure if she should continue.

Looking up, Ai was startled to find that she had Jack's full attention locked on her. His blue irises were filled with concern. "And what?" he prompted her softly.

"W-well…" Ai stuttered, cursing herself silently as she felt a heated flush rush through her cheeks. "I-I noticed the stain on your hoodie and well, I was wondering, what happened?"

Ai watched as Jack stilled, his gaze drifted off and seemed to lose focus. Ai wondered how long they sat there in silence. After what seemed like an hour, Jack wiped at his eyes as if drying tears that weren't there. "It was nothing. Just an accident with a school cafeteria." Jack laughed, but Ai could tell that it was forced.

Ai reached out a hand hesitantly towards Jack's shoulder. "Jack…?" she said softly. Her fingertips brushed the soft, worn blue fabric of the shoulder of his hoodie. The frost that decorated the cloth sent a small, cold shock through her hand.

Jack stiffened and moved swiftly to his feet. Ai looked up at him, his back to her. "J-Jack," Ai stuttered out. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"Can you stand?" Jack cut across her stuttering apology.

Ai looked down at her hands, sitting in her lap. She tried to push aside the feelings of hurt and sadness that were building in her chest. Ai nodded her head before remembering that Jack wasn't watching her. Clearing her tight throat, Ai said, "I think so."

Ai braced herself on the bed and hauled herself up to sit on the mattress. With a heavy sigh, she stood on shaky, unsteady legs. Ai bit her lip in concentration, not entirely sure if she could actually move now that she was standing. As if to confirm this, Ai took a short step forward before collapsing towards the floor.

But just before impact, Ai found herself clutching the sleeves of Jack's hoodie. His thin arms were surprisingly strong as they wrapped around her, supporting her weak body. Ai was pressed against Jack's chest in such a way that she could hear his heart beating softly in his chest.

After a suspended moment in this position, Jack helped Ai straighten up and find a surer footing. "You okay?" he asked, amusement obvious in his voice.

"You're laughing at me!" Ai whined playfully. "It's not funny!" she said, giving Jack a small shove. This, of course, only caused Jack to laugh even more. Ai tried to suppress the laugh that was threating to bubble from her lips. Despite her efforts, Ai found herself laughing along with Jack, his mischievous laugh too contagious not to catch.

Soon the two young spirits were collapsed on the floor, leaning into each other as they clutched their stomachs in laughter. There was not evident reason for their hysterics but it relieved the two of their nervous energy.

After a few minutes of laughter, the two fell in to submissive giggling fits, still huddled on the floor together. Jack gasped, clutching his sides. "Okay…" he breathed out. "Okay, let-let's get up and…find North and the o-others," Jack half gasped half giggled.

All Ai could do was nod as she suppressed yet another fit of giggling. Jack stood slowly obviously still weak from laughing for so long. Once he had found his feet, Jack looked down and extended a hand down to her. Ai shook her head with a gasp. "I w-wasn't able to stand before…I've got no shot now."

Jack cracked another grin and knelt down in front of Ai. "Well then I guess I could carry you. Try to get on my back."

Ai nodded and threaded her arms around Jack's neck once he turned around. Jack grabbed Ai's legs and hauled her up onto his back. Ai held fast and tried to ignore the feeling of Jack's muscled back pressed against her. A flush crept its way across her face and she was grateful Jack couldn't see her.

Jack piggybacked Ai out of the room and down the long hallway. The two were silent as they traveled through the building, all the while, Ai was thinking about her dream and what it could mean.

The more she thought on it, the more frightened she became. It had felt less like a dream, in the sense, that it felt so real. Like she had been in that situation before but she had just forgotten it, like a lost memory that was now being rekindled by something.

_But that's impossible, isn't it?_ Ai thought. But the second she thought it, she doubted herself. Although the dream felt real, like it could have been a memory, it didn't feel as though it were her memory entirely. It felt like, she knew what had happened when it had taken place, but yet, she felt like she wasn't the same person.

Ai sighed heavily as her head began to hurt. She dropped her head onto Jack's shoulder and closed her eyes.

That was another thing she wanted to know. She felt like she had known Jack, or at least seen him, before she had met him in the woods during the chase. And the dream, the voice had called out to a Jack to save them. Everything felt like it should be adding up, like it was all supposed to be connected, yet Ai knew she had a piece or maybe multiple pieces that were missing from the picture.

And she wanted to know what those pieces were.

Suddenly, Jack's voice roused her from her thoughts. "You okay back there, Ai?"

Ai lifted her head off of Jack's shoulder and sighed. "Yep, just thinking is all."

"About what?"

Ai paused, not entirely sure she wanted to confess her thoughts to Jack just yet. Ai shrugged. "Well for one, where are we?"

Jack let out a breathy laugh. "That one's simple. We're at the North Pole. It's North's home and headquarters. Any other questions?"

Ai let that one sink in for a moment before asking, "Where are we going?"

Jack let out a sigh and adjusted Ai on his back as he continued down the hall. "Well, I'm trying to find where North and the others are, which is proving to be more difficult than I originally thought it would be. I thought they would be near your room, waiting for you to wake up. But, that's obviously not the case."

"Why were you the only one around when I woke up?" Ai asked quietly.

Jack didn't answer for a moment, staying quiet as he moved quietly down the carpeted hall. "Well," he said at last. "I guess I was just worried about you. I know what it's like to wake up alone…" he trailed off darkly.

Ai nodded. "You mean like when you first made a Guardian 300 years ago?"

Jack froze, his foot halfway through the air. "What?" he said slowly, darkly.

Ai was tense and still, wondering where on earth that had come from. She hadn't been told anything about Jack's past and as far as she knew, she hadn't had any connection with him since he had chased her through the forest.

"I-I don't know. I'm not sure where that came from. No one ever…no one ever told me. Wait…was I right?" Ai stuttered around her words, her mind still reeling to understand what had just happened.

Jack released her legs and Ai released her arms from around Jack's neck, allowing herself to drop the floor. She stood on slightly shaky legs and looked up at Jack in confusion and fear as he turned to her and gripped her shoulders in his hands.

"Where did you hear that from?" Jack asked her in a dangerously low tone. His blue eyes bore into hers, not missing an emotion on her face, trying to detect any hints of her trying to lie to him.

"I-I don't know! I don't remember anyone ever telling me that but yet, I just knew it. I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to upset you. I just-"

Jack looked shocked and then started to shake his head. "What? No, no! I'm not upset about that. I'm just, confused now."

"Why are you confused?" Ai asked, equally befuddled about the unfolding conversation they were having.

"Because, I only ever told one person what happened the night I was made a Guardian," Jack said softly. Ai had to lean forward to catch the whisper.

"And, who did you tell?" Ai whispered almost as quietly.

"A girl I knew, I told her the story of exactly what happened that night when I was first made a Guardian. I told her that story when we were lying on her couch together after…well that's another story. But, I told her that when we were exchanging stories. She was the only one I ever told."

"So…the fact that I know it means…what?" Ai asked Jack, looking down at her feet.

"Well, it could mean one of two things. One, you could be lying about who you are. Or…"

Suddenly, there was a resounding boom that echoed throughout the hallway, followed by a shudder that caused the floor to rumble beneath their feet. Ai started to fall over and clung to Jack's sleeve.

"What was that?" Ai squeaked pathetically.

Jack was holding Ai up, keeping her steady as his hard gaze looked down the way they were heading. "I don't know. But we should probably go and find out. I have a feeling that something big is about to happen."

Jack knelt down and gestured for Ai to get on his back again. "C'mon, it'll be faster this way."

Ai paused a moment, not entirely sure she wanted to go rushing towards the sounds of destruction. But she obliged to Jack's wishes and climbed onto his strong back, holding on around his neck again as he supported her legs.

Before Jack started off running, he turned his head back towards her slightly. "Let's just hope that this doesn't turn into something big. I don't want all the laughing we just shared to be forgotten so quickly.

As Jack turned his head back around and started running off, Ai smiled at the back of Jack's snowy white head, secretly hoping the same.

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**A/N: Guys I am soooooo sorry that this took so long to update! I've been SUPER busy but I didn't forget about this! I will finish! Anyways, here's the next chapter and I hope to update again before the week is up. Enjoy! Please R&R!**


	3. Underneath the Ice

Jack rushed into the main hall, immediately beginning to cough violently. Ai, who was still perched upon his back, began to cough as well.

The large space was filling up with thick grey smoke. As Ai slipped off of Jack's back, she looked around the large room.

The section they were in was about three stories tall and opened up to the center of the workshop that descended down for many floors with a hollow center. There was a grand fireplace on one wall. The flames that roared inside were tall and a lively orange color, licking away at the Yule logs, causing a soft crackling to emanate from the fireplace. Ai thought for a moment if that was the source of all the smoke, but the thickest of the smoke cloud was off to Ai's left.

Covering her mouth and nose with her hand, Ai started towards the edge of the balcony as her eyes narrowed against the smog. Peering over the edge of the railing, Ai could see dark shapes moving about down below. They were almost directly across from where she stood and a story down. Turning back to Jack, Ai coughed against her hand and moved away from the thicker smoke.

"What do you think happened?" Jack called to her over the din below. There were shouts and clangs of something that sounded metal. These were soon followed by a spraying sound.

Ai shrugged and coughed again. "There's too much smoke to really tell. All I could see were some dark shapes moving around below in the smoke."

Jack's eyes narrowed as he thought about this. After a few moments, he said, "Ai, you wait here, go outside if you need to be free of the smoke. I'm going down there to check it out."

Ai wanted to protest that it was too dangerous to go alone, but then remembering that Jack probably had the upper hand since this was friendly territory for him, Ai nodded in agreement.

Jack leapt up onto the ledge of the railing, preparing to dive down into the fray. Ai suddenly rushed forwards and grabbed his arm. "Wait, Jack!"

Jack turned, slightly surprised by this and questioned, "What is it?"

Ai didn't know where the wave of emotions inside of her were coming from, but she felt like she had done this before, sent Jack off into the fray, into danger, and having the sinking feeling of not seeing him again. Ai swallowed around the lump forming in her throat and got out, "Be careful."

Jack's questioning gaze softened and he flashed her a reassuring smile accompanied by a wink. "Don't worry, Ai. I will."

Ai released Jack's arm and stood back, resisting the urge to pull Jack away and convince him that he didn't need to do this. Before the urge could overcome her, Jack dove over the edge headfirst.

Ai suppressed a shriek and raced to the railing, gripping the edge with her hands, the wood rubbing uncomfortably against the palms of her hands from impact. Her heart had crawled into her throat and was pounding frantically. Ai searched the thickening smoke frantically and soon found Jack's slight built form flying through the open space before he vanished into the smoke.

Ai stood there for a moment longer, holding her breath in anticipation before she remembered Jack's instructions.

Reluctantly, Ai pried her hands off of the wooden railing, rubbing the palms of her hands, wincing at the contact caused by the rough, red skin from gripping the banister. Turning, she found that one of the windows near the fireplace was a glass door that led to a small balcony. Ai stepped out and immediately felt goose bumps perk up on her arms.

Ai rubbed her bare arms furiously against the cold, biting wind of the North Pole, her breath forming a cloud at her lips. Ai's sleeveless, short length dress was fine for where she was from. But here, as far north as humanly possible, it was exactly the opposite.

Ai's teeth began to chatter uncontrollably as another fit of wind blew by her, seeming to slide icy, prickling fingers down her back. Ai let out a shaky huff of her breath, creating a little cloud and rubbed her arms even more violently, to the point where the skin of her already sore palms burned the skin of her arms. She watched silently as the cloud she had just created with her breath floated upward slowly in the break of the wind before being blown away as another gust of frigid air swooped down.

Ai sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the closed door that led inside. She so badly wanted to be inside but from her point of view it was worse indoors with all the smoke than it was outside with the freezing wind and snow of the pole.

Ai looked around and found that the balcony had a few chairs set up in a corner that was made up of the railing of the balcony and the wall of the large building. Walking stiffly over to the chairs, Ai looked around to see if there was a blanket or something to wrap herself in being stored out here.

To Ai's dismay, there was nothing of the sort stored out on the small balcony. With a heavy and shuddering sigh, Ai sank into one of the chairs, pressing against the back and drawing her knees up tightly to her chest, hugging them close and curling her toes in and out to keep the blood flowing through them.

Ai rested her chin on her knees and gazed out over the empty, white terrain of the pole. The whole landscape for as far as the eye could see was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, blending the ground with the sky. It was as dark as night here, the only light coming from the windows of the workshop behind her, casting a faint yellowy glow on the snow nearest the building, causing it to shimmer and sparkle.

Ai let her head droop sideways, on her knees as her mind wandered off. She had the strangest feeling of being here before. Maybe not this exact place but she couldn't shake loose the feeling of being at the pole before today. The workshop, the halls, even the room she had been in all felt eerily familiar to her in a distant way. Even the faces of North, Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, and Jack were familiar to her, they seemed friendly to her if she really thought about them.

Ai closed her eyes; becoming so lost in thoughts about her unknown past made her head hurt. Ai didn't really notice when she lost feeling in her fingers and toes, losing track of the time and slowly starting to fall asleep again.

Suddenly, there was a sharp cry of exclamation from the door to the balcony. Ai tried to move, but she was slow and frozen, giving up on her decision to react very quickly as every movement hurt.

Ai managed to pry open her frozen eyelids in time to see Jack rushing over to her side. His ice blue eyes were locked on her and filled with fear. He dropped next to her on his knees and gripped her frozen and purple fingers. "Ai? Ai! Are you okay?" Jack's voice was coated thickly with despair and desperation.

Ai started to blink her now open eyes rapidly, trying to unfreeze them. Jack watched her, waiting for a moment to see if she would give any other response before deciding for himself that she was most definitely not okay.

Jack got his arms under Ai and picked her up off the chair, giving a sharp gasp at how frozen Ai was. His face set in a stoic expression, Jack quickly carried Ai inside the workshop and placed her gently next to the roaring fireplace. Jack then sat down behind Ai and started rubbing her arms vigorously, bringing back the much needed warmth.

After what felt like endless hours, Ai could finally move around without the hindrance of being frozen. She huddled near the baked stones that lined the edge of the fireplace as Jack stood over her protectively like a guard dog. Ai coughed harshly and rubbed her arms again before stretching out her hands towards the orange flames.

Jack, who was still behind Ai, watched her do this before grabbing the bottom of his hoodie and tugging it off over his head. Jack walked around to Ai's side and plopped the hoodie in her lap. Ai started slightly at this and looked up at Jack as he sank down to sit next to her.

"W-what is this f-f-for?" she chattered out, her lips still slightly blue.

Jack shrugged and looked at his feet. "To wear? What else would you use it for?"

Ai looked at him for a moment before gratefully tugging it on over her bare arms. Once she had pulled the collar down over her head and adjusted the still warm hoodie, she flashed Jack a cocky grin.

"Well, it could be used as a blanket, or a pillow, or I could wrap it around my feet," Ai listed off as she flipped her hair out from under the hoodie so it fell freely down her back. "Shall I continue?"

Jack scoffed and said, "Glad to see you're feeling better."

Ai laughed and nudged Jack with her elbow playfully. "Shut up. It's thanks to you. I would have frozen out there if you hadn't found me when you did."

Jack's face grew dim, his eyes darkening sadly. "Yeah. Surprisingly, you weren't the worst of people I've saved from freezing."

Ai looked sidelong at Jack, wondering what he meant by that. Looking back at the flames, the two teenage spirits sat staring at the roaring inferno for a long moment. Ai broke the silence, not looking away from the flames as she asked softly, "Was it that girl you told your story to?"

Jack remained quiet for a few minutes, leaving Ai to wonder if he had even heard her. She was too nervous to ask again and was about to give up hope of getting an answer when Jack let out a puffing sigh. "Yeah, it was," he said shortly.

The two fell back into silence, the only sounds being the crackling of the wood logs and the grunting of the yetis, which Ai had seen from earlier rushing around the many levels of the workshop. Taking a silent, deep breath, Ai asked, "What happened to her?"

Jack visibly tensed in Ai's peripheral vision, causing her to flinch slightly, afraid that Jack would get upset with her.

But that didn't happen, Jack shook his head and looked away from Ai, hiding his face from her view. Ai looked down at her arms. They were covered in Jack's hoodie and her fingertips just barely poked out from the sleeve holes. A muffled noise from Jack drew her attention away from her hands.

She looked over at him, not out of the corner of her eyes but fully on this time. She saw that underneath his hoodie, Jack was not wearing a shirt. In the firelight, his thin form was highlighted and accented with the definition of his muscles. Ai stared at him, completely captivated.

It wasn't until he made another one of those muffled noises that Ai was dragged out of her enchantment. She shifted onto her knees and shuffled closer to him. Hesitantly, she reached out a small, tentative hand, like a child reaching to pet an animal for the first time. Ai touched her fingertips to the cool skin of Jack's shoulder. When he didn't react, she let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Ai slid the rest of her hand onto Jack's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze, feeling the well-defined muscles of his shoulder underneath her fingers. "Jack?" she whispered softly. "What's wrong?"

Jack's shoulder shook and Ai released it in shock. Jack was…_crying._ Ai immediately shook her surprise and scooted around to face Jack, gripping both of his shoulders. "Jack?" she asked more urgently. "What's wrong?"

Jack refused to look at her, keeping his head bowed and his arms hugging his knees. Ai released one of Jack's shoulders, taking his chin in her hands and gently tilting his face up so he was forced to look at her.

Ai felt her heart break at the sight of him. Jack's eyes were red and there were tear streaks down his cheeks. His usually lively blue eyes were now broken and darkened. Ai removed her hand from under his chin and gently wiped away at tears, her eyes never leaving his and vise versa.

"Jack," Ai whispered so quietly it was hardly noticeable. "What happened to that girl?" Though it was quiet, her voice was firm and demanded an answer. The two held the others gaze for a long moment, a moment as frozen as the tundra outside.

Jack lowered his eyes a fraction of a degree, breaking the frozen moment. Ai felt as though ice was shattering around her, freeing her from Jack's ensnaring gaze. She blinked a few times, trying to unstick her eyes from holding them open for so long.

Jack whispered something softly, murmuring his answer so that she wouldn't hear it. Ai leaned forwards, tucking her dark hair behind her ear as it fell forwards in her face. "What?" she asked softly.

Jack looked up at her sharply; his blue eyes that used to be so soft and kind were now angry and broken. "She's dead, Ai!" he shouted at her. Jack then fell in on himself and started crying uncontrollably.

Ai, startled, fell over and scrambled quickly back. Her heart was pounding in her head, adrenaline from the sudden sense of fear coursing through her. She let out a shaky breath and gingerly straightened up.

Ai looked on at Jack, her eyes pricking with tears at his broken appearance. She wiped at her eyes and felt the sleeve brush her cheek as she did so. Ai inched forwards on her knees, cautiously approaching Jack.

A little more confident now that she had already approached Jack once, Ai laid her hand on his shoulder. "Jack…" she whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry…" Ai looked down at Jack, who was curled in on himself, her eyes watering slightly. Jack looked up at her, his eyes expressionless. Ai enfolded Jack into a hug, holding him close, trying not to break down as well. She didn't know why, but her heart felt as broken as Jack's eyes.

After a long moment of the two holding each other in the others embrace, they broke apart. Ai leaned back onto her hands, still wearing Jack's hoodie. "So," she said, attempting to change the subject. "What happened with all the smoke back there? What was it?"

Jack scoffed, his demeanor returning to normal. "One of the yetis caught a little robot toy on fire and it spread over the entire shelf that was holding the rest of 'em."

Ai started cracking up, just picturing the scene in her head. She tried to stop, but found it impossible. After a moment, Jack started laughing too. A few minutes passed before they were able to gain control again. This laughing fit hadn't been as bad as the other fit they had had earlier.

Ai leaned into Jack's shoulder and stared at the flames, a smile still playing at her lips. After a moment, she sighed softly and looked up at Jack. "This reminds me of when we were laying on the couch. Peaceful and quiet."

Jack stiffened and moved away from Ai, who was now bent over, clutching at her temples.

"Why did you just say that?" he snapped. "Are you trying to mock me?"

Ai looked up, wincing sharply. "No! I swear! I remembered it! Like I was there."

Jack stood and glared down at her with icy eyes. "Then tell me why I was lying on the couch with that girl I told you about."

Ai winced fiercely again and then looked up at Jack. "It was Pitch. He hurt you, that's where you got the stain on your sweater," she said, tugging at the jacket she had on to emphasize her point. "You didn't get it from a cafeteria food fight, you got it from a chest wound."

It was then that Ai's eyes fell on Jack's fully exposed chest. There was a very faint scar, running from the crown of his left shoulder to the tip of his right hip. "That's where you got it from," she whispered. "And that girl you were telling me about, she fixed you up and then you two were lying on the couch together, talking and then you both fell asleep together."

Jack was staring down at her with large eyes, shock and pain evident in his icy irises. "H-how would you know all that? You weren't even there!"

Ai looked down at her hands. "I honestly don't know. The memories are just there."

She looked up at Jack with desperate eyes. "Please believe me!"

Jack reached down and grabbed Ai's hand, hauling her up. "I think we need to find Tooth."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry guys, I really have no idea what this chapter was. I just kinda wanted to have some fluff in here before we rolled into the main part of the plot. Anyway...R&R please! Enjoy! :D**


	4. Possession

Ai was hauled to her feet with a stumble in her step as Jack gripped her tightly. His fingers were like an icy iron cuff chained firmly around her wrist. His eyes reflected immense pain and a fire she had never seen from deep within his soul. Ai whimpered and tried to shrink away from the boy. Jack, all kindness and his carefree attitude gone, pulled her back to him with a sharp snap of his arm, drawing a yelp from Ai. He pressed his face close to hers, allowing her to see clearly the depth of emotion and rage burning in his irises. Ai ground her teeth, no longer feeling frightened, but annoyed at this new persona Jack had taken on.

Ai struggled fiercely in Jack's grip, tugging relentlessly at his fingers, trying to pry them loose. "Let go of me!" she snarled with the ferocity of a wild animal.

But Jack did not let go. His frozen fingers held fast around her wrist, preventing her from escaping him. As Ai used her free arm to claw at Jack's hand, he used his free hand to grab hers, pinning them together and pulling her close, his nose a hair's breadth away from hers. "Be a good girl now, Aisuru. We wouldn't want you getting hurt." Ai stopped struggling and looked into Jack's eyes, fear pulsing through her body, causing her to go stiff. There was something off about the winter spirit, something Ai just couldn't seem to place. Thinking that if she stared at him long enough, maybe everything would reveal itself. Ai, trying to suppress her fear, found that she was fixated, almost bewitched by his eyes yellow glow.

That was when everything clicked. _Jack's eyes where yellow. _

Ai narrowed her eyes, steeling herself against this…thing. She took a deep breath and attempted once more to break free. The thing that was possessing Jack laughed humorlessly at her attempts. "So feeble," it crooned tauntingly. "I don't see why they focus on recruiting such an insufficient thing like you." Ai snarled into the things face, not focusing on the fact that it looked like Jack.

"Get out of here, you are not welcome here," Ai said through grit teeth. "What are you even doing here?" Ai kept her gaze leveled with his. "Who are you?"

Jack, or not Jack, curled his lips in a devilish smile and tugged Ai closer. "Well now, my dear," he hissed out. "I'm your worst nightmare. I'm the one who's going to be responsible for you demise. Of course, I might have already destroyed part of you."

Ai slackened in the things grip, staring up at it, her eyes filled with terror. "W-what is that supposed to mean?" Ai kept her arms limp; forgetting to fight against whatever it was that inhabited Jack's body.

It grinned maliciously. "Well now, you can't remember anything before a month ago can you?"

Ai inhaled sharply and took a step back, only to be snapped back again, but this time with more ferocity, causing her wrist to crack painfully. Ai began to cry out, only to find her cry halted by a hand covering her mouth. The demon Jack leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear and causing Ai to squirm fitfully. "That memory loss is my doing. I killed part of you, the part that lived your life until then, dear Aisuru."

Ai looked at it, horrified. It removed Jack's hand from her mouth and she stood their, shock still, unable to process what it had said. The thing laughed harshly at her, raising a hand to strike Ai to the floor. Taking advantage of his slackened hand on her wrist, Ai snapped free of her shock and liberated her arms from his grip with a forceful jerk. The thing lunged for Ai, determined to not let her get away. Ai spun and flung her leg out, her bare foot connecting with the side of Jack's head.

Jack crumpled midair, landing with a dull thud on the floor. Ai collapsed to her knees and rubbed her wrists painfully. After a moment or two of Ai rubbing her wrists and staring around in shock, she shook herself and crawled over to Jack's crumpled form, biting back the guilt that threatened to overwhelm her. Ai placed a small hand on Jack's shoulder and gave him a light shake. "Jack?" she called. "Jack!"

Jack didn't respond immediately, leaving a heartbeat's gap to lie still as stone before a pain filled groan escaped his lips. Shifting slightly so he could move a hand to his temple, wincing upon contact where a black and blue bruise was already forming. "Ai? What in the name-?"

"You were possessed," Ai cut across Jack's incomplete question. "I don't know by what. But it was scary. Your eyes turned yellow and you were acting really dark and you were holding my wrists and it really hurt." Jack struggled to his knees and took Ai's wrists in his hands, incredibly gentler than before, and examined them.

Ai's wrists were always very thin and delicate, looking as though they would snap if too much pressure were to be applied. Now they had hand print shaped black and blue bruises wrapping around her wrists, accompanied by rough red marks that outlined and intensified the color of the bruises. Jack inspected them carefully, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. "D-did I do this to you?" Jack looked up, his eyes dark and sad.

Ai looked at Jack, locking her eyes with his, quietly overjoyed that they were no longer yellow and filled with a dark, taunting emotion. "Don't beat yourself up with this, Jack. It wasn't really you. You were-"

"Possessed, I know," Jack cut her off angrily. "But I should have been strong enough to overcome it before I hurt you. I'm so weak!" Jack raised his voice drastically on the last word, frustration vibrant in his voice. Ai shrank back from him, afraid that he would be overtaken again.

"Jack?" she whispered softly. Ai, very afraid of him being possessed again, was hesitant to move in to comfort the young spirit.

Jack looked up at her, shaking his head as if to shake loose the emotions clouding his eyes. "Sorry, Ai." A pause. "How did you manage to get the thing out of my head by the way? And why do I have a giant bruise on my temple?"

Ai smirked and gave a short laugh. "Actually, the bruise is the result of how I got the thing out. Cognitive recalibration," Ai said proudly. When Jack stared blankly back at her, Ai sighed and said, "I hit you really hard on the head."

Jack sighed and tenderly touched and poked at his bruised temple. "Well," he sighed again. "I guess I'm lucky you did. Who knows what would have happened if it stayed in my head."

"Let's hope we never find out," Ai said softly. She stood on shaky legs and then reached down to help Jack to his feet. "You said we should find Tooth before that thing took over. Why?"

Jack reached up and grabbed Ai's hand, using it for the leverage he needed to get to his feet. He let out a huff as he righted himself before answering her. "Tooth is the Guardian of Memories. I thought that since maybe you have all these scrambled memories, Tooth might be able to sort them out."

Ai looked up at Jack hopefully, her eyes hinting at the desperation that enveloped her. "You really think she could help?"

Jack answered her with a shrug. "It's worth a shot." He looked down at Ai and was startled to feel an overwhelming sense of protection consume him. There was a fire in his chest that hadn't been there since…Jack shook his head, not wanting to think about that. As Jack looked down, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Ai's bruised wrists and he winced. Possessed or not, those were his handprints on her wrists. Jack reached out and gently took hold of Ai's hand. He smiled down at her surprised look and chuckled. "C'mon, Ai. Let's go find Tooth."

* * *

**A/N: Ahhh! Sorry that this is so short guys! I was really busy and didn't have a lot of time. But I promise that the next chapter will be longer and better in quality! I hope you like this one! R&R please!**


	5. Just a Glance

Jack pushed open the door to a room with a heaving sigh. He and Ai had been searching for almost an hour now and they had yet to find a trace of Tooth. And, now that Jack thought about it, they had yet to run into any of the other Guardians as well. He looked around the empty room and called out, "Hey, Tooth! You in here?" He paused a moment, waiting for a reply. "Anybody?"

When he was met yet again with silence, Jack sighed in defeat as his hand slid down the woodwork of the door. He listlessly draped his hand over the knob and tugged the door shut. Jack turned and looked at Ai who was standing behind him, giving her a shrug. "I don't know where they could be. This place is huge and they could be anywhere."

Ai set her hands on her hips and blew out an exasperated breath, ruffling the ebony hair that hung in her face. "Well, maybe if we split up for the next floor, we could get through this faster," Ai suggested.

Jack huffed and pondered the strategy. "I guess that would be more productive." Glancing down the hall, there was only one other door left. "Let's check that room before we go to the next floor," Jack said, pointing.

Ai looked down the hall at the door and nodded. "Alright." She started down the hall, her pace brisk. Reaching the door first, Ai gripped the cool metal in her hand and twisted the knob, nudging the door open with her hip. Ai poked her head around the edge of the door and called out into the large room, "Hello? Tooth? You in here?" Ai's calls were met with silence and a soft echo. Ai sighed and her head drooped. Ai suddenly winced and gripped at her forehead, a sharp shooting pain flaring throughout her temples. After a moment, the pain passed and Ai shook her head, straightening and closing the door,

"I guess we have to search the next floor since Tooth isn't-" Ai turned and caught her breath. "Here?" she finished softly. Ai looked sharply from left to right in confusion. "Jack?" Ai raced back the way she had come, calling out Jack's name, panic and desperation straining her voice and escalating with each unanswered call.

Finally, Ai came through the large arched doorway that led to the open foyer with the grand fireplace. Ai pulled up short in shock. Tooth and Sandy were hovering over the floor holding water and bandages in their hands. Their faces were downcast and worried. The two Guardians were heading out the opposite doorway. Ai rushed after them, calling out. "Tooth! Sandy! Hey! Jack and I have been looking everywhere for you!"

Tooth and Sandy kept on flying away, but not like they were trying to avoid her, just like they were going somewhere. Ai rushed after them and soon caught up "Hey, guys. Did you hear me?" Ai reached out to grab Tooth's shoulder, but her hand passed cleanly through the woman's feathered form. Ai froze and stared at her hand in utter terror.

After a suspended moment, Ai shook her head and started to breathe heavily in fear. "W-what-how-why?" she started gasping out to no one. She looked up and found that Tooth and Sandy were still flying along, completely unaware of Ai standing behind them on the verge of a breakdown.

Ai took several shallow breaths before she was able to begin breathing normally. Ai decided that the best thing for her to do was to follow Tooth and Sandy down the hall to wherever it was they were going. Ai looked up from where she had been staring at her hands and caught a glimpse of Tooth's tail feathers swishing around a corner. Ai took off at a sprint, easily catching up with the two older Guardians as they stopped in front of a closed set of double doors.

Tooth reached out and grasped the knob, twisting it around and pulling. However, the door didn't budge. Tooth's features suddenly drew on panicked. She exchanged a frightened glance with Sandy as she pulled again. When the door didn't budge, Tooth began pounding on the door, crying out to Sandy, "It must have been locked from the inside!" She continued to pound on the door frantically.

North and Bunny suddenly appeared from the hall behind Tooth and Sandy. "What's going on?" Bunny asked quickly.

Tooth turned to Bunny and said in a panicked voice, "The door's locked and she's inside! She won't open it!"

As Bunny moved Tooth aside, Ai wondered who 'she' was. Bunny struck out a large pawed foot and solidly connected with the door, causing it to shudder on its hinges. Bunny took another swing at it, this time successfully knocking the door open, revealing the scene inside to those standing in the hall.

Ai gasped sharply and took a stumbling step back. The room was revealed to be a sort of infirmary, housing two beds and a medical cabinet. A young girl who looked about Ai's age was kneeling on the floor, something held in her hand. Her body was very lean and thin and she had long brown hair that was hanging down in her face, much like Ai's would do. The girl looked up sharply when the door burst open, revealing a childish face with large frightened blue eyes that reflected Ai's.

Tears were running down the girl's face and she was shaking violently, sobs wracking at her body. Ai couldn't see clearly enough but it looked like the girl was holding something in one of her hands. Actually, more like clutching it, almost as if it were her lifeline.

Tooth was the first to move, flitting forward and batting the girl's hand, causing the object to clatter freely to the floor with a sharp din of metal on wood. Ai watched as Tooth grabbed the girl's hands and forced her to look at her. "Jess!" Tooth cried, desperation and anger evident in her tone. "Jack sacrificed himself to Pitch for your safety and this is how you repay him? By continuing to harm yourself?"

Ai's eyes grew round, realizing that this girl, Jess who was sitting broken on the floor, was in the process of cutting herself. Meaning that the object Tooth had freed from her grip was a blade. Ai watched in stunned silence as Jess yanked her hands free from Tooth's grip and lunged for the blade, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. Tooth grabbed Jess around the middle and hauled her back. "Stop, Jess!" Tooth cried, clinging to the sobbing girl.

Jess shrieked and cried out, "No! Stop! Let me go! I need it! It's the only thing I have left that's real!"

Ai watched as Bunny went up to Jess and said something softly, trying to comfort her. Jess stopped struggling and looked at the spirit, saying something equally as soft. Whatever it was she said, the room went silent and still. Ai watched as Sandy moved forward and sprinkled Jess with a light coating of dreamsand, causing the girl to go limp in sleep.

* * *

"Ai! Ai! Aisuru!" Jack's voice caused Ai to snap in consciousness spontaneously. She sat up with a sharp gasp and flailed slightly as her body contracted into a sitting position.

Groaning, Ai curled in on herself and clutched her head. "What-?"

Jack rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "I don't know. You poked your head inside and called out. Then you just collapsed. I've been calling your name for a while. I didn't know what happened." Jack paused and examined Ai's pale face and frightened blue eyes. "What did happen? Are you okay?"

Ai shuddered slightly as it all came back to her. Ai relayed this information to Jack, who became very still and emotionless. After a long, almost awkward silence, Ai cleared her throat and whispered, "The girl, the one you told me about that died, that was her that I saw wasn't it? Jess."

Jack stared out at nothing for a moment before nodding curtly. "Yes," was his tight response.

Ai tugged at a loose strand of her ebony hair. "Jack, why am I connected to these memories? Why do I keep seeing her? And when you were possessed, you said-"

Jack looked at Ai sharply. "What? What did that thing say?"

Ai swallowed with some difficulty and whispered, "It said that it had already killed a part of me and that's why I can't remember anything before a month ago. It said that it would be responsible for my full demise." Ai raised her face to Jack's, her large blue eyes burning with fear and desperation. "It's not…not going to k-kill me, is it? I don't want to die, Jack. And," Ai paused and took a shaky breath. "I'm scared, Jack."

Jack looked down into Ai's child-like face and her terror stricken eyes. He set his jaw and reached out, taking both of Ai's thin shoulders in his hands, his grip firm but gentle. "Ai, I know that you're scared but you know, all of us Guardians are here for you and we will keep you strong." Jack paused and his eyes flit nervously to the floor. "And…I'll protect you personally. I promise."

Ai looked at Jack, her eyes misty and calmer than before. She sniffed and thrust forward, pressing against Jack's chest and wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered into his hoodie.

Jack stood for a moment, surprised by Ai's sudden gesture before he wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her small frame securely in his arms. "I won't let anything happen to you," he said. Jack's eyes darkened and he thought to himself, _I can't fail this time…I won't._

Tooth suddenly came zipping into the room, her bright-feathered body darting spastically around the air. "Jack! Ai!" she chirped brightly. Tooth's greeting startled the two young spirits, causing them to jump and break apart. Jack, ignoring the look on Tooth's face, cleared his throat and started towards her.

"Tooth!" he said. "Where have you been? Ai and I have been looking everywhere!" Ai followed Jack over to Tooth, tugging at her hair in an embarrassed fashion.

Tooth giggled and quipped, "Oh! I took a trip to Bunny's warren to help him round up some stray eggs. We're both so fast to move around so it didn't take long. I don't know where North and Sandy are." Tooth paused and eyed the two, her bright mood calming slightly. "Why were you looking for me?"

Jack and Ai exchanged sidelong glances before Ai said, "I've been having these…visions I guess you could call them. I see things, memories, but they aren't my memories." Ai paused and looked over at Jack for confirmation to keep going. After a short nod from him, Ai inhaled deeply before continuing. "The memories that I'm seeing belonged to a girl that you all knew, by the name of Jess," Ai whispered the last part.

Tooth went still, her wings even stopped fluttering, causing her to drop to the ground where she stood in shock, staring at Ai with large pink irises.

Jack reached out a hand and touched Tooth's feathered shoulder. "Tooth? You okay?"

Tooth shook her head and her wings started fluttering again, lifting her off the ground. Ai thought for a brief moment how Tooth's hovering made her look taller than she actually was since the fairy was shorter than Ai standing.

Tooth rubbed her feathered arms and nodded with a shaky breath. "Yeah, I just…didn't see that coming." Tooth eyed Ai suspiciously. "And you're absolutely sure that it's Jess?"

Ai nodded and started playing with her fingernails. "I saw when you guys had Jess here and she was trying to cut herself because she was scarred."

Tooth flinched visibly at the mention of Jess' terrible habit. "Y-yeah," she out unsteadily. "That's Jess," she whispered softly. "So what do you want me to do?"

Jack stepped in, placing a hand on Ai's shoulder. "Well, we were hoping you could see how much of Jess' memory Ai has and see if there's anyway to separate the two."

Ai nodded. "Please at least try, Tooth. You have no idea what it's like living with two people in your head."

Tooth wrung her hands uncertainly, her tail feathers twitching uncomfortably. "W-well…hm. I've never tried anything like that before, but it's worth a shot. Let's find a place where you can sit down and we'll give it a go," Tooth said, flashing her as bright a smile as she could manage. It was blatantly obvious that the news about Jess had shaken her.

Ai smiled and threw her arms around Tooth, hugging her but minding her wings at the same time. "Thank you, Tooth! Thank you so much!"

Tooth looked shocked at Ai's sudden movements but smiled and hugged the young spirit back. "Of course, everything is worth a try, dear. Now, let's go to the main foyer and try this, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please R&R!**


	6. Delving Deeper

Ai settled comfortable into one of the large, plush chairs, her eyes resting on Jack and Tooth who stood in front of her. "What now?" she asked warily.

Tooth hovered in front of her, giving her a reassuring smile. "All you have to do is relax and close your eyes. I'll take it from there and we shall see what memories you've got in that head of yours."

Ai nodded and tried to relax, but her shoulders refused to release the tension built up within them. Jack walked up to Ai and rested a hand on her thin shoulder, giving her a small smile when she looked up at him. Ai smiled as well and settled into the chair again, the comforting presence of Jack allowing her to relax.

Tooth rested her fingers on Ai's temples, taking a breath and closing her eyes before her fingertips began shimmering where they came in contact with Ai's skin. Ai's breathing had become steady and slow and showed no signs of awareness of the unfolding events.

Tooth's brows began to furrow, whether from concern or concentration, the on looking Jack couldn't tell. He stayed where he was, watching the two spirits in front of him. Jack had yet to release his hold on Ai's shoulder and he leaned against the back of the great chair.

Suddenly, Ai cried out sharply and started to twitch underneath Jack's hand. Jack straightened up quickly and looked down at Ai. She hadn't cried out again but she was twitching and seemed to be trying to move away from Tooth but appeared unable.

After a long, intense moment, Tooth let out a breath and straightened up, releasing her fingers from Ai's temples. The look she gave Jack made him shiver. "What's wrong Tooth? What happened?"

Tooth shook her head, her eyes laced with worry. "She has a lot of Jess' memories, Jack, and that worries me. Not all of them have surfaced yet but now that she knows about Jess, I can only think that they will be appearing more and more frequently now."

Jack bit his lip and looked down at Ai who was asleep, but still slightly twitching. "There has to be a way to get those memories out of her system, right Tooth?" Jack looked up at the fairy with hope in his eyes, pleading at the same time.

Tooth shook her head and shrugged, "I don't know Jack. None that I know of." Tooth looked down at Ai and sighed. "Let's move her to a bedroom, she'll get neck cramps sleeping like that."

Jack sighed before bending down and scooping Ai up in a cradle hold. He and Tooth then proceeded to walk silently down the hallway, neither saying a word to the other until they got into the room. Jack set Ai down on the bed and then straightened up, looking down at her.

His back still to Tooth, Jack heaved out a breath and said, "There has to be a way to separate them Tooth. We can't let Ai fall the same way Jess did," Jack's voice broke on Jess' name. He cleared his throat and after a moment, continued. "I won't allow it. It's just not fair to allow this to happen again."

Tooth laid a hand on Jack's broad shoulder. "Jack, you know that you couldn't have done anything to stop Jess from doing that. She was doing it to herself before we even knew-"

Jack rounded on Tooth. "We're **Guardians **Tooth! It doesn't matter that we didn't know, we should have known! She was still considered a child when all this started, she still believed in us! She died believing in us! There should have been something we could have done to stop this!"

Jack quieted down when Ai shifted in the bed behind him before he continued, softer than before. "I just wish she were still here, Tooth. I mean, she and I, we…I mean we were…"

Tooth touched Jack's cheek to quiet his teary attempts at a sentence. "It's okay, Jack," she whispered comfortingly. "I know. I know what you two meant to each other."

Something in Jack's eyes broke and he hugged Tooth, his shoulders shaking softly as tears slipped down his cheeks.

Tooth hugged Jack tightly, rubbing his back soothingly, like a mother comforting a small, frightened child. "Everything will be okay, Jack. Remember you told Jess that as she left? Now you need to make sure Ai knows it as well. She's going to be frightened when she wakes up, Jack, and you need to be there for her."

Jack straightened up and wiped at his wet cheeks. "I know Tooth it's just, it's hard to always have to be the strong one."

Tooth's eyes widened and she gripped Jack's hands in hers. "Jack," she said urgently. "I know how this must feel and I can see it in your eyes. You mustn't become what Jess made herself. You're immortal so you'll have to literally live with it forever if you do."

Jack smiled and removed his hands from Tooth's grip so he could place them on her shoulders. "Tooth, I understand your worry but I promise you I won't go there. Ever."

Ai shifted behind the two spirits again, causing them to fall silent for a moment. When Ai's fidgeting subsided, the two continued in again hushed tones.

"Ai looks so much like Jess, everything about her reminds me of her, except for her hair color." Jack paused. "Do…this is crazy but, do you think the reason she looks like that is because of Jess' memories in her head? Can that even happen?"

Tooth mulled over Jack's question. "Well," she started slowly. "I suppose that, especially with the amount of Jess' memories that she has, her physical appearance could be altered to look like Jess. But Jack, there's something I found that you should know."

Jack looked down at Tooth sharply. "What, what did you find?"

Tooth was shifting uncomfortably in the air where she hovered. "W-well," she started out stuttering. "There is a way I could separate the memories of one person and another if they wind up in the same head, but-"

"Then why don't you do it to Ai? She doesn't deserve those memories in her head, especially the early ones…" Jack cut across Tooth.

"The reason I can't preform it on Ai is because, well, she's basically the immortal reincarnation of Jess."

"What?" Jack said lowly.

"Ai is Jess, so the memories are all hers. I'm afraid there's no way to stop her from unearthing all of Jess' memories."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I apologize for this being kind of late but I've been really busy. I hope you guys enjoy this short and lame chapter of mine. But it seems this one is not as popular as the prequel and I'm not really feeling it so I may cut it short in like the next chapter or so. Anyway, R&R please!**


	7. Resurfacing

Jack stared at Tooth for a long moment, frozen, before sighing and running his hand through his spikey hair. "Oh, this is so messed up. How could this have happened? Did Man in Moon do this?"

Tooth shook her head. "I don't know Jack. And you know Man in Moon; he only talks to us when he needs to. I don't think we could get it out of him unless he wanted us to know."

Jack glared out the window at the clouded North Pole sky. "Well if he did do this, he shouldn't have. He should have left Jess to rest; not reincarnate her into someone else!"

Jack's staff was starting to glow blue and Tooth rested a firm hand on his shoulder, indicating he needed to calm down. Jack sighed and loosened the fists he hand begun to clench his hands into. "I'm sorry. But it hurts so much to think that Jess is right there when we know she's died."

Tooth looked at Jack sympathetically. "I know Jack, but don't worry. We can sort everything out, I promise."

It was then that Ai started to stir and sit up. Jack was at her side in a moment. He started to say something but Ai cut him off. "Jack, take me to Jess' house."

Jack and Tooth exchanged bewildered looks before Jack locked eyes with Ai. "Why? What…where did that come from?"

Ai took a deep breath and swung her legs over the edge of the bed but remained sitting. "While I was asleep, I saw all of Jess' memories and her past. I know that, if I become a Guardian, I won't enjoy it. I'll remember too much and I don't even know what my center would be. I think the five of you have the Guardian thing covered. All I want is to go back home."

Jack lowered his gaze from Ai's and pondered her request. After a long silence, he looked up at her and said, "You know, if you go back, you won't age, you won't die, you'll have to watch everyone around you grow old and leave. That's what eternity means."

Ai smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Jack. Everything's going to be fine."

Jack looked over at Tooth who nodded, though her eyes were misty. "Let her go."

Jack dropped his head, defeated, and stood, pulling Ai up with him. "Let's get you home then."

* * *

Ai and Jack landed a few hours later on the back porch of Jess' house. Jack couldn't help but remember the last time he had taken off from this spot, when he was going after Jess when she had been captured by Pitch. That was after she had tried to…

Jack cut off that train of thought quickly; not wanting to live in the past, however ironic that was with "Jess" standing next to him.

Ai looked up at the house, taking it all in as she started towards the door. Ai reached out a shaking hand and gripped the handle of the sliding door tightly. She tested it with a sharp tug and found it to be unlocked. She pulled it open all the way and stepped inside to the kitchen. Ai looked around and was startled to find a letter perched on the kitchen table. It was addressed to her mother. Ai picked it up and ran her hand over the unbroken seal on the back. The letter had never been open.

Ai turned to Jack and held it up. "This is was Jess'…. my suicide note to my mother. But it was never opened. It's been a month since I wrote this. She was supposed to be home two days ago.

Jack looked over her shoulder at the phone sitting on the counter. Pointing he said, "It looks like there's a voice message waiting."

Ai dropped the note on the table and rushed over, pressing play on the answering machine. The automated voice told her it was from two days ago. Then her mother's voice started playing, filling the silence that had settled upon the kitchen.

"Jessica? It's mom. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way we left things. I know that this seems random after all those years, but I met someone who made me think about the way I was treating you. If it isn't too late, I would like to try and amend things between us. I know we haven't really talked about your father since he died, but I want you to know I don't blame you anymore. Anyway, my flight home from Japan got delayed so I'm going to be a few days late. Call me back, sweetie." Her mother paused before she said in a voice choked with tears. "I love you Jessica, and I'm so, so sorry."

The answering machine beeped, signaling the end of the message. Jack and Ai were left standing in stunned silence.

Ai's eyes began to water and she choked on a sob. "Oh, mom," she whispered. She scooped up the phone and dialed her mother's cell phone number. The line rang three times before there was a click. Her mother's voice came through the speaker, tired and raspy.

"Hello?"

"Mom?" Ai choked out.

"Jessica? Oh my baby. I thought you were mad at me and wouldn't call me back. Are you alright?" Her mother was wide-awake now, bombarding Ai with questions.

Ai sniffed, realizing that she was now crying. "Yeah mom, I'm fine. I couldn't still be mad at you after everything you said. I was just really busy and I didn't hear your message until now."

Ai and her mother talked for another half hour, crying and apologizing and laughing the whole time. Ai suddenly felt a jolt in her chest and she coughed shortly. "Hey mom?"

"Yes, Jess?"

"I have to go, dance class starts soon. But I'll talk to you when you get home."

"Alright dear, have fun. I love you."

"I love you too, mom."

Ai and her mother hung up. Ai placed the phone back on the charger and stared at it for a long moment before turning to Jack.

"Jack? Is that-?"

Jack was sitting with a large golden retriever next to him. "Bond!" Ai cried happily, running over and hugging her dog. Bond yipped happily and licked her shoulder. "Oh, Jack! You remembered him!"

Jack smiled. "How could I not? He watched over me when I was hurt, remember?"

Ai smiled up at Jack. Something jingled on Bond's collar and she looked down at it. There was a multi-colored gem swinging from the collar. It was iridescent so the colors were constantly moving and changing.

"What is this?"

Jack smiled and knelt next to her. "It's go magical powers. Whenever you need us, just grab the gem and call the name of the Guardian you want. We will come. I promise."

Ai smiled through fresh tears and hugged Jack. "Thank you."

Jack hugged Ai tight. "Aisuru? Does this mean, you're going to go by Jess again?"

Ai pulled back from Jack touched her heart. "Actually, I'm not staying. Jess' memories have all been rekindled and her problems solved. So, I'm not needed to hold her place anymore. Aisuru will cease to exist and Jess will come back and receive all of my memories."

Jack stared at Ai. "No. That's not fair! That's-"

Ai stopped Jack's protests with a finger to his lips. "It doesn't have to be fair. I was just a placeholder and I guess I knew that all along. Jess will come back as a mortal to live her life. You should be happy for her."

Jack looked at his hands before he raised his eyes to meet Aisuru's. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. Ai melted into Jack, hugging him around his torso.

_The final step…_Ai thought. _Jess' last memory is rekindled. Goodbye Jack…_

When Jack pulled away, he was startled to see that Ai's hair was no longer ebony black but back to Jess' brown color. She smiled at Jack and hugged him tightly. "Jack," Jess whispered.

* * *

_Years go by and Jess and her mother amend their relationship, living happily together. Jess still talks to the Guardians when she can, mostly Jack. They both know that Jess will eventually grow up, but she would always be able to see the Guardians. Bond sticks close to Jess at all times, as he is the link between her world and the Guardians world._

_Jess returning brought forth the final aspect of childhood, something the Guardians all work together to protect. Love._

* * *

**A/N: Alright guys, that's the end! I know that this one wasn't as popular or as good as the first one but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Love you all!**


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